Endings
by PitchHabrosus34
Summary: How Batman, Batgirl, and Robin died.
1. Chapter 1

**Endings**

Author's notes: First, a spoiler: They all die. Batman, Batgirl, and Robin die; it's sort of the point of the story, so there's no point in making it a surprise. Way back when I was a kid watching this series, I thought it was weird when Batman, Batgirl, and/or Robin escaped danger due to a major convenience, random coincidence/timing, or some ex machina thing. I know that the heroes would be fine given that the TV show needed to continue and that it was a part of the Fox Kids lineup, but I still wanted to write a story in which they aren't able to save themselves. Second, there is violence, explicit and implied, particularly in chapter 2. Don't proceed unless you are comfortable reading material that probably deserves its M rating.

_Chapter 1_

It took Robin ten minutes to arrive at Keen's Jewelry after learning about the silent alarm. He saw four henchmen in trench coats accompanying the Joker as he landed by the door. In quick succession, he launched four batarangs, hitting the four henchmen. As the goons tried to deal with the weapons and their pain, Robin quickly knocked them unconscious with his punches and kicks.

Robin then proceeded to the Joker. "You need to hire better thugs," Robin suggested.

"Well, good help is very hard to find," the Joker responded. "Luckily, I was able to hire some muscle right before this heist."

Robin couldn't react in time as a large fist slammed into his back. He was dazed, but still tried to get up and prepare to fight. When he saw Bane, it took Robin an extra second to prepare mentally and he ran towards his opponent. Bane easily knocked Robin to the ground again, permitting the Joker to force a cloth drenched in chloroform onto Robin's face.

When the police arrived at the jewelry store, they saw Joker's four henchmen, still unconscious and bleeding, and Robin's cape, belt, boots, and gloves.

* * *

Batman and Batgirl scoured Gotham City for four days, looking for Robin. They had personally interrogated the four thugs, who together had provided nineteen potential locations that the Joker might use. Batgirl was starting to panic, but noticed that Batman had become even more worried than she was. As always, Batman maintained a stoic visage free from expression, but Batgirl knew Batman enough to see the quiet desperation and sense of responsibility in his eyes.

The pair arrived at an old commercial district, full of decrepit and abandoned buildings that were once stores. They entered a building that was the fourteenth on their list and looked around.

Batman and Batgirl considered moving onto the next building when they heard a faint impression of Joker's laughter.

"He's here," Batgirl whispered.

"So am I," Bane said, to Batman's and Batgirl's surprise.

Batman and Batgirl both threw weapons at Bane and charged at him, but the Joker and Harley Quinn tackled Batgirl, leaving Batman to face Bane alone.

Batman attacked Bane on many fronts, but found it difficult to actually hurt the villain, particularly when he was trying to evade Bane's fists.

Batgirl also had to balance offense and defense, facing a variety of challenges from Joker's and Harley Quinn's personal arsenals. Both the Joker and Harley Quinn were uncharacteristically quiet.

Harley Quinn pulled out two knives and lunged at Batgirl in two different directions. Batgirl responded by using both hands to grab Harley's wrists and resisted the force of Harley's exertion. She was unable to stop Joker, then, when he pulled out a pistol and shot her chest.

Harley stopped exerting when she saw the blood and let Batgirl fall to the ground.

Batman caught Batgirl's death out of the corner of his eye. The temporary distraction allowed Bane to land a blow to Batman's face. Batman fell, feeling his jaw and cheekbone broken. He tried to get up, but Bane took his arms and held them behind him.

"Awww . . . you've lost Batgirl," Joker said. "One death you failed to prevent. And this, will be the second."

The Joker shoved his phone in front of Batman's broken face, forcing him to watch a recording. Batman saw Robin suspended from his wrists, naked except for his mask. His arms and legs were spread apart. Chains were attached to each ankle on one end and to the floor on the other end, effectively immobilizing Robin. Robin was drenched in sweat; he must have been held in that position for a long time. The Joker then entered the frame with a cattle prod, evidently wet on one end.

Batman began to turn his head, but Harley held it in place, making him watch as Robin screamed in pain at the assault.

"No more games, Batman," Joker said coldly. "No more chances." He held a pistol to Batman's forehead and pulled the trigger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Endings**

_Chapter 2_

Robin endured a week of torture by the Joker. It was mainly physical at first, with tests of endurance and frequent encounters with the cattle prod. After five days, the Joker showed Robin pictures of Batman's and Batgirl's corpses. Robin refused to believe that they had died, until the Joker dragged in the bodies and unmasked Batman and Batgirl.

Psychological torture followed, as the Joker left Robin chained outside, along with the bodies of his friends. After a few hours, Robin felt his skin burning in the sun, though the pain was ignored because of the vultures that landed nearby and the smell that began to overtake him. Robin welcomed the heavy rain that came later in the day.

Bane arrived and put Batman's and Batgirl's masks back on and took them away, while the Joker led Robin back inside.

Later, he could barely make out a conversation between the Joker and Bane.

"What do you plan to do to him?" Bane asked.

"He's going to die, of course, but I feel like I should make an occasion out of it and maybe enjoy this a little bit more," the Joker answered.

"If it's the same to you, I would like to be the one who does it. I came close before. I almost drowned him."

"Shall I arrange another drowning? You can do the honors."

The next day, Robin was once again suspended from his wrists, with his arms and legs spread apart. Robin watched as Bane brought in a water trap tank and the Joker and Harley filled it to the top.

A gallery of villains soon entered. Among nameless mobsters and everyday criminals, Robin noticed the Riddler, the Penguin, and the Mad Hatter. There was little doubt that these people paid Joker a lot of money to see Robin. It was then that Robin remembered his mask was still on, a last shred of dignity that the Joker and Bane permitted him.

Bane then entered with the cattle prod. Robin braced for it, and was surprised when Bane used the prod on the chains, making Robin convulse. Robin lost track of how long Bane kept up this torture and how long he had been screaming. Bane then stopped. What Robin was expecting with the cattle prod, Bane opted to do himself. This time, Robin forced himself to lose track of time until Bane broke Robin's chains and pushed him into the water trap tank.

Robin quickly gained his composure to free himself. He pounded on the glass, but in his weakened state, found this act futile. He then pushed his legs against the glass with his back on the other side. A minute later, his need to breathe was too much. His exertions had weakened him further and required more oxygen. Finally, Robin let the water enter his lungs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Endings**

_Epilogue: A Beginning_

Tim Drake read about how his heroes' bodies were found dumped in a river and he learned their true identities along with the rest of Gotham City. However, he could never bring himself to see the pictures of the bodies or read too much about the personal lives of Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, or Barbara Gordon. He turned off the TV when Commissioner Gordon lost his composure when giving a speech in honor of the men and his beloved daughter.

Tim leaned out a window and let a slight, comforting breeze interrupt his grief. A scream, in turn, interrupted his trance. On the alley below, Tim saw a man trying to mug a woman. Two other men walking by noticed the incident and confronted the man, who ran away without stealing anything.

Tim was relieved that heroism remained in Gotham City, but he knew that what Gotham had was insufficient for the challenges that lied ahead.

* * *

Alfred was taking trash out when Tim approached him.

"Hello, Mr. Pennyworth," Tim said in the shadows.

"I've already explained that all the equipment here have been transferred to the police," Alfred said, sounding tired. "There's nothing left to see."

"I saw that on the news. One of the reporters even gave a list of items the police have, but there's a lot missing. I'm assuming that the police will hold some of it back and the reporters can't go over everything, but I'm also guessing that you kept some things."

Tim sighed at Alfred's silence.

"I'm not a curious kid trying to take a look through Batman's tools for fun. I'm trying to follow in his footsteps, and Robin's and Batgirl's. They were my heroes. Gotham needs someone to replace them. I want to try, but I need help, your help."

"Who are you?"

Tim stepped into the light, revealing a tight yellow outfit with black boots, gloves, belt, and cape. A pair of thin dark brown lines ran down Tim's shoulders and stopped at his belt. "I'm Tim Drake, but Gotham City will call me Hornet."

"Hornet?"

"You don't like it?"

"Well . . ."

"I wanted to name myself something that can fly, like Batman and Robin, but different."

"Very well. Come in, I'll show you what you can have."

Alfred led Tim into Wayne Manor, encouraged by a boy that reminded him so much of Robin.

* * *

The end. Thanks for reading.


End file.
